How to Pick The Right Vacuum Cleaner For a Hardwood Floor

One of the most popular features of modern homes is a hardwood floor. This type of floor is durable, beautiful and easy to clean. Therefore, many home buyers are rushing to buy houses that have such floors and home owners are installing hardwood in their homes.

One of the devices which is highly effective in cleaning floors is a vacuum cleaner. Due to the popularity of hardwood flooring, manufacturers have produced many great vacuum cleaners for hardwood. These wood floor vacuums have a variety of features, shapes, sizes, power ratings and designs.

There are many different types of hardwood vacuums available today. Some of them are upright while others are canister. Here is a guide on how to find the best hardwood floor vacuum.

Avoid Rotator Brushes

Rolling brushes are designed and built such that they can lift dust, debris, dirt and hair that is stuck deep in rugs and carpets. Also known as rotator brushes, they are often covered with bristles which are quite thick in size. The bristles do a great job of combing through the rugs and carpets to get the dirt out.

Hardwood floors do not have the same composition as carpets and rugs. They are much smoother. Thus, any abrasive action for example that which is caused by the rolling brushes can damage this type of floor. It is usually difficult to repair or replace hardwood when they get damaged.

Thus, as you search for a vacuum cleaner that is designed for hardwood cleaning, do not buy the one which has some rolling or rotator brushes. The bristles on these brushes can scratch your floor and cause extensive damage. If you cannot find a cleaner which does not have these brushes, pick one where you can turn off the brush motor and simply use suction to clean your floor.

Look For Soft Wheels and Padding

Hardwood is admired for their smooth surface. The smooth patterns caused by the wood grain are very appealing. It gets even more beautiful after a layer of varnish is applied on them. This layer seals them and prevents any fluids from getting absorbed into the wood and ruining the color.

It is very important to maintain the smooth finish. This preserves its beauty for decades to come. A hardwood can also be a type of asset which raises the value of a home and needs to be protected from scratches and nicks caused by furniture or appliances.

To preserve the appearance and value of your floor, search for a vacuum which has rubber wheels. It should also have felt or rubber padding on its underside. This prevents the machine from scratching, digging or nicking the floor as you clean it.

Choose Compact and Lightweight

Timber from strong, resilient trees such as the oak is used to make hardwood. This makes the floor last for decades without warping or cracking. Despite its innate durability, the surface is quite delicate.

To prevent any damage from happening on this surface, it is important to use a vacuum that’s not only compact, but is also lightweight.

This will ensure that the machine does not exert too much weight and pressure which could crack or damage the wood.

In addition to that, a light vacuum cleaner is easier to maneuver and reduces the chances of accidentally scratching or nicking your floor’s surface.

Suction Capability

Suction power is one of the most important features of any vacuum cleaner. It is produced by the motor unit. This is the force which sucks up the hair, dust or debris from the carpet or floor which you are cleaning. The more the suction power, the better.

Wood floors require extra strong suction power. This is because no brushes can be used to stir up the dirt and debris from it. Thus a vacuum has to rely entirely on its suction power to clean the hardwood floor leaving no dirt or dust behind. Therefore, whenever possible, pick one with a high suction power rating.

Choose Canister Over Upright

There are two most common construction designs; canister and upright.

Canister vacuum cleaners have a main unit housing the motor and dirt compartments. This unit provides suction power to a wand through a flexible hose. You can use the wand to clean your floors, drapes and furniture.

On the other hand, uprights have the suction unit, dirt compartment and motor all housed together in one upright unit. You simply push it ahead of you as you vacuum your house. The controls for it are located on the handle or the foot of the cleaner.

The better type of vacuum for hardwood is the canister model. This is because it is lighter and more portable. Also, you can control the lightweight wand such that you do not accidentally damage your floors.

There are a number of review websites like Floor Executives with opinions on what they think is the best canister vacuum. But if you’ve done your research, then you already know there isn’t a single best model. It varies from person to person, and from circumstance to circumstance. The first thing that you need to do is determine what your needs are, and then find a vacuum that fits your need, and your budget. Below is a link to a guide that we’ve written on how to find the right canister vacuum if you have mostly hardwood floors at home. We recommend taking a look at it if you are leaning towards a canister model.

Find One With Comfortable Swivel Steering

When you are searching for the right wood floor vacuum cleaner, it is highly important to pick one which has comfortable steering. This is because you need to stay in full control of the suction head as you vacuum. A cleaner that has swivel steering is best, since it gives you maximum control to clean without damaging your floor.

Dirt Container

Vacuum cleaners store dust, debris, dirt or hair in two types of containers. These are bags or plastic containers. Pick something that has a plastic dirt container because it is much easier to empty than a bag.

Conclusion

Hardwood floors are delicate, beautiful, elegant and expensive. They actually increase the value of a house when they are installed. Thus, they need to be cleaned using an ideal vacuum cleaner designed for this specific floor type. The tips above can assist you to pick the right one for the job. Here are some vacuums worth checking out.